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Vulvodynia and vaginal pain

Most women have or will experience pain during sexual intercourse, for about 15% of women the pain is constant and is called Vulvodynia – chronic pain in the external genitals of a woman.

A few facts about vulvodynia:

  • In most cases, the pain is localized in the vaginal opening (vestibule) and is called vestibulodynia (aka vulvar vestibulitis).
     

  • The pain may extend to other areas in the vulva and along the pelvic (generalized vulvodynia).

  • The pain may be described as burning, stinging, itching, or any other vulvar discomfort.

  • The pain may be provoked, occurs only with direct contact (sexual intercourse, inserting a tampon, wearing tight jeans, riding a bicycle, prolonged sitting, etc.), or it can be unprovoked and occurs spontaneously.

  • The pain may be primary when it is felt during the first sexual experience, or secondary when a woman who experienced sexual intercourse without pain, at some point in her life begins to feel the pain.

  • In most cases, the pain creates guilt and a decrease in self-esteem due to a feeling of shame and being damaged and as a result, sexual dysfunction.

  • The cause of vulvodynia is still unknown

The long explanation:

Most women have or will experience some pain during sexual intercourse, for about 15%  of women the pain is constant and is called Vulvodynia – chronic pain in the external genitals of a woman.

Vulvodynia is characterized by chronic pain that appears in the vulvar region, usually only in the vaginal opening (vestibule), and then it is called vestibulodynia (also known as Vulvar Vestibulitis) while in severe cases the pain can also extend to the anus and other areas along the pelvic (generalized Vulvodynia). The pain occurs mainly during sexual intercourse. Sometimes the sensitivity is so high that the pain does not allow the use of tampons and in more extreme cases the pain occurs even without any contact with the affected area.

​The pain is often described as a burning sensation as if rubbing an open wound or stabbing in the area.

About one in seven women suffer from Vulvodynia and yet, hardly a week goes without hearing phrases like "the gynaecologist thinks I'm crazy", "I went to see so many doctors and none of them knows what I have", "I feel flawed", and many other phrases describing terrible distress, as if the pain itself was not enough.

 

According to western medicine, the cause of Vulvodynia is unknown. There are many possibilities for treatments such as sexology therapy, pelvic floor physiotherapy, biofeedback, anti-inflammatory ointments, anaesthetics and more, however, they are not always effective. Following a few successful pilot research acupuncture was marked as promising and large research is now conducted in the USA.   ​

 

Vulvodynia is considered primary when the pain is felt with the first sexual experience. It is secondary when a woman experiences sexual intercourse without pain and at some point in her life, she begins to feel the pain, sometimes following a vaginal inflammation caused by a fungus, virus, parasite, or bacteria that was not treated properly or at all.

Any woman can develop Vulvodynia at some point in her life.

Almost always the pain causes guilt and a decrease in self-esteem, due to a feeling of being damaged. It may affect a woman's ability to be intimate with her partner or even from having children. This can disrupt existing relations or cause concerns about starting a new one.

The syndrome disrupts the life of the woman suffering from it on every level – physical, mental and personal.​

During our first conversation in 2007, Dr Liora Abramov, former head of the sex therapy clinic in Lis maternity hospital, Tel Aviv, Israel, commented to me that she was concerned with finding a way to help women suffering from Vulvodynia. From then I began to explore the subject in-depth, which in the Chinese medical literature is not emphasized. I have since treated hundreds of women. Most cases showed significant improvement and many cases were completely cured.

My treatment includes a personal diagnosis, Chinese acupuncture, personal herbal formulas prescriptions, and changes in lifestyle (suitable diet, sleep, exercise, etc.) the individual treatment reduces the already low chances for side effects.

The treatment is NOT invasive as I only use acupuncture points that are distal to the genitals.

 

There is no problem with combining Chinese medicine treatment with the conventional one.

 

Vulvodynia according to the Chinese medicine view: 

Vulvodynia is mainly a problem with the free flow of Qi, blood and\or fluids of the Liver organ. But there is no need to find a donor for a liver transplant ;-) unlike conventional medicine which divides the body into separate parts, Chinese medicine treats the body as a whole system and the emphasis is on function rather than a physical part. An organ in the body has a function that affects the physical and mental aspects. There are 12 internal organs that are considered the core of the Chinese medicine theory and the relationship between these organs is what affects all functions in the body.

Our body can be compared to a branched piping system where blood, various fluids, and Qi flows through its channels. Qi is responsible for every movement – it is the basis of everything and without it, there would be no life, it cannot be seen but is very tangible (it is felt when a needle is inserted into an acupuncture point). The Qi flows through the body from any direction and in any direction, and on its way varies and changes. Mental and physical factors like stress, illness, nutrition, accident etc. may disrupt the circulation in the body. in accordance with the tendency of each person, the disruption would influence the body, in this case, the tendency is the genitals. 

 

Part of the route of the liver's channel goes through the genitals, and a problem with the liver's function may cause many disorders along its route, one of them being vulvar pain.

The cause of the pain:

Pain is always associated with disrupted free flow, as in the Chinese saying "when there is pain there is no free flow, if there is no free flow there is pain"

What can be done?

By asking questions, tongue observation and pulse measuring it is possible to find the cause for the stagnation in the free flow: if the problem is qi and blood stagnation then they should be moved if the stagnation is of fluids (vaginal discharges for example) then they should be drained or dried. If there is too much heat – it should be cooled, too much cold should be warmed and if the cause is a deficiency of qi and blood, they should be restored.

Once the cause for that stagnation begins to fade

 the pain decreases

and one can begin to breathe 

Click here to read my patient's stories

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